Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)

History

The Minister for Home Affairs was a ministerial portfolio that existed continuously from 1901 to 12 April 1932, when Archdale Parkhill became Minister for the Interior in the first Lyons Ministry — subsuming his portfolios of Home Affairs and Transport.

The Home Affairs or Interior portfolio was responsible for various internal matters not handled by other ministries. In due course, other portfolios were established that took over functions from it, including:

• Transport from 1928 to 1932 and continuously since 1941
• Immigration since 1945
• Agriculture since 1942
• Industry from 1928 to 1945 and since 1963

The Minister for the Interior existed from 1932 to 1972. The Territories portfolio has been the responsibility for the varying titles of the Minister for Territories.

The Home Affairs Ministry was re-established in 2007, assuming the responsibilities of the Minister for Justice and Customs within the Attorney-General's Department with policy responsibilities for criminal justice, law enforcement, border control and national security and with oversight responsibilities of the Australian Customs Service and the Border Protection Command, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission, and the Office of Film and Literature Classification.

From September 2010 to September 2013, the Minister for Home Affairs also held the position of Minister for Justice. In September 2013 with the change of government, the position Minister for Home Affairs was disbanded and its responsibilities were assumed by the newly created Minister for Immigration and Border Protection for border control and by the Minister for Justice for law enforcement.

On 18 July 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the creation of a new home affairs department to be headed by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, with responsibility for immigration, border control, domestic security, and law enforcement.

On 20 December 2017, Governor-General Peter Cosgrove swore Dutton into the position of Minister for Home Affairs. The Home Affairs portfolio was formed by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 20 December 2017 with responsibilities for national security including cybersecurity and counterterrorism, law enforcement, emergency management, transport security, immigration, citizenship, border control, and multicultural affairs.

In July 2024, upon the reshuffle of the Albanese Ministry, responsibility for oversight of ASIO was delegated to the Attorney-General's Department rather than being accountable to the Home Affairs Department. Prime Minister Albanese had previously moved responsibility for oversight of the AFP from the Home Affairs Department to the Attorney-General's Department in 2022 upon his election as Prime Minister.

List of ministers for home affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Home Affairs, or any of its related titles:

: Morrison was appointed as Minister for Home Affairs by the Governor-General on Morrison's advice in May 2021, with both Morrison and Andrews holding the position of Minister for Home Affairs until May 2022. However, the appointment of Morrison was not made public until August 2022.

Former ministerial titles

List of ministers for customs

From 1901 to 1956 Customs was handled by the Minister for Trade and Customs. In 1956 Frederick Osborne was appointed Minister for Customs and Excise. Kep Enderby was appointed Minister for Police and Customs in 1975. In 1975 responsibility for customs was absorbed into the portfolio of the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs, John Howard. In May 1982, the portfolio of the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs was abolished and customs functions were transferred to the Minister for Industry and Commerce, Phillip Lynch. In January 1988, Barry Jones became responsible for customs as Minister for Science, Customs and Small Business within John Button's portfolio of Industry and Commerce and there were subsequently junior ministers responsible for customs within the industry portfolio until March 1993 and from March 1994 until December 2007, when customs became part of the responsibility of the Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus. Between September 2013 and December 2017, it was the responsibility of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

The following individuals have held responsibility for customs:

Notes : Whitlam was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Lance Barnard for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.

List of assistant ministers for home affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, or any of its related titles:

References

References

1. (30 November 2007). "Debus new Home Affairs Minister". ABC News.
2. (18 July 2017). "Home Affairs agencies will retain statutory independence: Turnbull". [[The Mandarin (website).
3. Yaxley, Louise. (18 July 2017). "Malcolm Turnbull announces Home Affairs super-ministry run by Peter Dutton". [[ABC News (Australia).
4. Hutchens, Gareth. (18 July 2017). "Peter Dutton given control of new home affairs super ministry". [[Guardian Australia.
5. (17 July 2017). "Peter Dutton to head merged ASIO, AFP and Border Force super security department". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
6. (18 July 2017). "A Strong and Secure Australia". [[Prime Minister of Australia]].
7. (20 December 2017). "Administrative Arrangements Order". [[Commonwealth of Australia]].
8. Gould, Courtney. (28 July 2024). "Anthony Albanese moves Clare O'Neil, Andrew Giles and promotes Malarndirri McCarthy in cabinet reshuffle". [[ABC News (Australia).
9. (2010). "Ministries and Cabinets". [[Parliament of Australia]].
10. (16 August 2022). "Anthony Albanese reveals former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministries in power grab". ABC News.